Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov holds up a Turkmen shepherd dog. (Reuters) “We have a common friend -- this is the world’s unique alabai dog.

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AFP) — Turkmenistan's authoritarian ruler has recognized a national dog breed with a state holiday, government media reported Friday, elevating the canine to the same status as ...

Russian President Vladimir Putin receives a Turkmen shepherd dog, locally known as Alabai, from Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov during a meeting in Sochi, Russia on October 11 ...

Russian President Vladimir Putin, a dog lover, received a top breed puppy as a belated birthday gift on Wednesday from Turkmenistan's president who is keen to recover lost Russian markets for ...

The statue of the Alabai, the Central Asian shepherd dog is seen in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. Turkmenistan's autocratic leader has established a national holiday to honor ...

Turkmenistan's President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov presents a Turkmen shepherd dog to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on October 11, 2017.

The president leads celebrations of the Alabay shepherd dog - a symbol of national cultural pride.

Outside Turkmenistan, the alabai is more commonly known as a Central Asian Shepherd Dog, but Turkmen authorities are promoting the breed as a core element of national heritage.